Email Communications

Email is a great way to stay in touch with parents, but it's also a great way for parents to stay in touch with you...and your administration...and other parents.  In theory, this kind of communication builds connections among teachers, schools, and families.  In practice, I find that some parents use email to complain about and/or question almost every aspect of the class.  Responding to these emails takes time and energy, and it can generate resentment toward parents who just want to get involved, but are going about it in a less-than-desirable way.

As a religious school teacher, I usually respond by thanking the parent for their interest and by providing factual responses to their inquiries.  Then I make a point of inviting parents to speak with me personally to address any additional concerns they have.  I also cc the religious school principal on emails with parents.  In addition to being a "cya" maneuver, I also think this helps parents feel that their concerns are taken seriously, and it keeps everyone informed about what is going on.

Email definitely facilitates communication, but it doesn't personalize interactions the way in-person conversations do.  In fact, I think email sometimes allows people to be more blunt, critical, or even confrontational than they would be during a face-to-face conversation.  And unlike a formal letter, it's easy to dash off an email and send it (and copy lots of people on it) quickly and effortlessly.  I notice that many "problems" disappear when I invite parents to meet with me personally. 

Don't get me wrong; I am not anti-email.  It's one of my primary forms of communication, and I think it's a great tool.  But I also think email offers an easy method for parents to complain, and without clear boundaries, some parents will complain a lot.  That's why I believe it's important to have a plan of action for handling confrontational or angry emails, emails questioning my classroom methods, and emails on which everyone under the sun is cc'd. 

I also believe it's important to be prepared to meet with parents personally.  If I offer to have a face-to-face meeting in response to an email, and a parent accepts my offer, I need to schedule a meeting in a timely manner and be willing to hear what the parents has to say.  Not every parent is just complaining for the sake of complaining. Sometimes, email is a great "early detection" system for identifying legitimate parent concerns.